Challenges faced by flights during landing and taking off in airports of Kerala; 25-member team to address concerns 

KOZHIKODE: Birds are one of the biggest threats to aircrafts taking off. All airports in the world face this threat. A plane recently crashed in South Korea during landing killing 179 passengers. The threat from birds is more during the time of landing and taking off.

If birds come closer to the aircraft, the engine will pull the birds in and will damage it then. This increases the risk of accidents. A 25-member team is working in Karipur Airport to address this concern. This team works 24 hours a day in three different shifts. The airport authority has fixed the salary of these employees on a contract basis.

The birds are chased away by bursting crackers, making noise and using reflective mirrors. The runway and surrounding area will be monitored immediately before takeoff and landing to ensure that there are no birds. An emergency landing after 15 minutes was there in 2012 after a bird got stuck in the wing of a Sharjah-bound plane carrying 168 passengers.

An environmental management committee is working in the airport to assess threats, including bird nuisance, and take action. The committee meets at regular intervals to assess the situation.